Signs, symptoms, conditions

Abrasion

Friction scraping away skin surface

Anhidrosis

Condition of producing no sweat

Bulla

Large blister

Comedo

Hardened sebum in hair follicle; blackhead

Contusion

Injury caused by a blow; causes swelling, pain and bruising

Cyst

Fluid filled sac under skin

Depigmentation

Loss of normal skin color

Diaphoresis

Profuse sweating

Ecchymosis

Blood collecting under skin following blunt trauma; a bruise

Erythema

Red flushing of skin

Erythroderma

Having reddened or flushed skin

Eschar

Thick layer or dead tissue over a deep burn area

Fissure

Crack like lesion on the skin

Hirsutism

Excessive hair growth

Hyperemia

Redness of skin due to increased blood flow

Hyperhidrosis

Excessive sweating

Hyperpigmentation

Abnormal amount of pigmentation

lesion

General term for an injury or abnormality

Leukoderma

White skin from lack of skin pigment

Lipoma

Fatty mass

Macule

Flat, discolored spot on skin

Necrosis

Condition of cell or tissue death

Nevus

Pigmented skin blemish, birthmark or mole; usually benign

Nodule

Firm, solid mass larger than 0.5 cm

Onychomalacia

Softening of nails

Pallor

Abnormal paleness of skin

Papule

Small, solid raised spot smaller than 0.5 cm

Petechiae

Spots from minute hemorrhages under skin

Photosensitivity

Abnormal skin reaction to light

Pruritus

Severe itching

Purpura

Skin hemorrhage due to fragile blood vessels

Purulent

Infection producing pus

Pustule

Raised spot on skin containing pus

Pyoderma

Having pus on or withing the skin

Scleroderma

Hardened skin

Seborrhea

Oily discharge

Suppurative

Containing or producing pus

Ulcer

Open sore in skin

Urticaria

Hives; eruption of wheals with severe itching

Vesicle

Small, fluid filled raised spot; blister

Wheal

Small, round swollen area; typical of allergic skin reaction

Xeroderma

Abnormally dry skin

Abscess

Collection of pus in the skin

Acne rosacea

Chronic form of adult acne with redness and tiny pimples, primarily on the nose

Acne vulgaris

Common form of teenage acne with comedos, papules and pustules

Actinic keratosis

Abnormal condition of hard, horny, wartlike lesions that develop on sun damaged skin; may become cancerous

Albinism

Genetic condition in which the skin is unable to make melanin; skin and hair are white and eyes appear red

Basal cell carcinoma

Cancerous tumor in the basal cell layer; common cancer that rarely metastasizes

Burn

Skin damage caused by fire, electricity, ultraviolet light, or caustic chemicals; percentage of skin burned is estimated using Rule of Nines

Cellulitis

Diffuse acute infection of connective tissue of the skin

Cicatrix

Normal scar

Decubitus ulcer

Open sore caused by pressure over bony prominences; caused by loss of blood flow to skin

Dermatitis

Inflammation of the skin

Dermatosis

Presence of a skin condition

Dry gangrene

Late stages of gangrene; affected area becomes dried, blackened and shriveled

Eczema

Superficial dermatitis; redness, vesicles, itching and crusting

ichthyosis

Skin becomes dry, scaly and keratinized

Gangrene

Tissue necrosis due to loss of blood flow

Impetigo

Highly infectious bacterial infection with pustules that rupture and crust over

Kaposi’s sarcoma

Skin cancer seen in AIDS patients; brownish purple lesions

Keloid

Thick hypertrophic scar

Keratosis

Condition of excessive growth and thickening of the epidermis layer

Laceration

Torn or jagged wound

Malignant melanoma

Dangerous form of cancer; begins in melanocytes; quickly metastasizes

Monkeypox

Contagious viral infection that causes flu like symptoms and a rash with pustules or blisters

Pediculosis

Lice infestation

Psoriasis

Chronic inflammatory condition with papules forming silvery scale patches

Rubella

Contagious viral infection; German measles

Scabies

Skin disease caused by a mite infestation

Sebaceous cyst

Sebum filled sac under the skin

Squamous cell carcinoma

Cancer of epidermis layer; may invade deeper tissue and metastasize

Strawberry hemangioma

Congenital collection of dilated blood vessels; birthmark

Systemic lupus erythematosus

Chronic disease of connective tissue; injures skin, joints and kidneys; produces red, scaly butterfly rash

Tinea

Fungal infection; itching and scaling lesions

Tinea capitis

Fungal infection on scalp; ringworm

Tinea pedis

Fungal infection on foot; athlete’s foot

Varicella

Contagious viral infection; chickenpox

Verruca

Warts; benign growth caused by a virus

Vitiligo

Disappearance of pigment from skin in patches; causes milk white lesions

Wet gangrene

Area of gangrene with secondary bacterial infection and pus

Alopecia

Absence or loss of hair; baldness

Carbuncle

Furuncle involving several hair follicles

Furuncle

Bacterial infection of hair follicle; redness, pain and swelling; a boil

Trichomycosis

Fungal infection of the hair

Onychia

Infected nail bed

Onychomycosis

Fungal infection of the nail

Onychophagia

Nail biting

Paronychia

Infection of the skin fold around the nail